Regrets, Mermaid Tails, and Whale Magic
by tacotits
Summary: As much as Ookurikara (not so admittedly) loves Mitsutada, the merman has been living in his bathtub for all too long now. With no one left to turn to, Ookurikara goes to his old friend Date Masamune, who suggests taking Mitsutada to the nearby aquarium for the time being, but Ookurikara sees it more as a permanent solution... [Sequel to "Quite a Catch"] [MitsuKuri] [Mermaid AU]
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a continuation of another story of mine, "Quite a Catch." This won't really make sense without having read it, but if you're not into smut and don't want to read it, let me give you a rundown—Mitsutada is a mermaid who fell in love with Ookurikara, who is a lazy fisherman. Due to various events, Mitsutada ended up living in Ookurikara's bathtub, which is the current state of affairs at the beginning of this fic.

Also, since you can't write a MitsuKuri without referencing Date Masamune at least once, I decided to just go ahead and make this a Touken Ranbu and Sengoku BASARA crossover. Of course the focus is still on Mitsutada and Ookurikara and readers don't need knowledge of BASARA to follow along. That being said, for those who don't know BASARA, I wanted to point out that Masamune has a habit of using random (and often incorrect) bits of English in his sentences. Those are indicated using forward slash marks.

Regrets, Mermaid Tails, and Whale Magic

"It's not like you to call me out for drinks, Ookurikara. /Something happen?/"

At first glance, Date Masamune bore a striking resemblance to Mitsutada. They both had eyepatches and a similar lop-sided haircut for one thing, but they also both seemed to breathe /cool/ in and out, and had something of a crooked smirk. However, while Mitsutada very obviously put up a front, Masamune actually had a deep reserve of confidence and pride that bled into all his actions; be fully believed everything he said. Further, his hair was a dark brown, and a bit longer and more wild than Mitsutada's dark blue locks. For Ookurikara, their differences far outweighed their similarities, and while he (non-admittedly) enjoyed the presence of his mermaid, Masamune meddled a bit too much and definitely annoyed him at times (not that Mitsutada didn't annoy him too). This being said, he had realized that he actually required outside help at the moment, and Masamune was the only one he knew could do that.

Which is what brought them here, to this small tavern on the edge of East Bay City. Masamune, the so called "One-Eyed-Dragon," loved his liquor and his parties, and Ookurikara figured a beer or two was an even trade for the favor he was about to ask.

"I need a big tank," he answered curtly, figuring it would be easier to get to the point.

"Oh?! Did you catch a shark again?" The way Masamune grinned looked very much like the creature he was talking about.

"It doesn't matter. I just need a big tank."

"Hmm? Something still living?"

"I never said that." He turned so fast with a glare so sharp that his companion couldn't help but chuckle aloud. His frown only deepened as the "dragon" he had known for years took a deep drink from his beer. The bartender with strange green markings on his face didn't even raise his eyebrows at the noise, though Ookurikara knew from experience that the moment things got rowdy, he wouldn't hesitate to throw people out of the bar. Masamune had been thrown out on his ass several times after all.

"So you need a big tank for some fish fritter that you want to keep alive. When I told you to get more /friend/ this wasn't what I meant. /Strange Hobby./" Masamune had to dodge the fist that followed.

"A tank," the frustrated fisherman repeated.

"/Cool it./ You remember Ieyasu right? The guy with the muscles and the dumb smile? Too nice to hurt anyone? Really into GUNDAMs?" When Ookurikara's facial expression didn't change, Masamune tried: "Has short brown hair with a big point in the front?" He sighed at the stone faced fisherman. "Anyway, he's pretty big over at the aquarium, so I am sure he could rig something up in the back for you and your fishy friend."

"When?" Ookurikara wasn't about to waste his own breath with a longer response.

"Hmm, well I'll need to call Ieyasu and then borrow Kojuro's truck. I would say Saturday, but he has his dumb gardening club on that day, so how about Sunday? You don't have work, do you?"

In response to the question about his chill part time job at a karaoke place, Ookurikara shook his head.

"/Marvelous./ I'll be seeing you then." And with that, he stood up and downed the rest of his beer before turning on his heel and leaving. The bartender's eyes fixed on Ookurikara silently, and he opened his wallet in response.

Sunday came around and he still hadn't told Mitsutada yet. The bathtub was never supposed to be a permanent solution, but the Keibishi were still roaming about the bay, so Ookurikara couldn't just take the mermaid back to his own death. But things couldn't stay like this. It was better for Mitsutada to go somewhere he could be safe and swim freely.

That, and the mermaid was getting to be a bit much. Normally they spent full days together without a hitch, but Mitsutada was quite literally living in his bathtub. It didn't really bother him that he had to shower in front of the merman's watching eye, but rather that the Mitsutada was physically incapable of going anywhere else. He was restless obviously, cramped in such a small place and unable to leave the off-white room. The only thing he could do was wait for Ookurikara to return home after work and fishing. He couldn't even make his own meals. And for someone like Mitsutada, who was incredibly social, to suddenly have only one person to talk with, conversation became more of a need than a joy. And the last thing that Ookurikara could handle was neediness.

The situation needed to change.

The fisherman hadn't necessarily been looking forward to Sunday, but he hadn't been dreading it either. And that told him everything he needed to know. Living with Mitsutada? Being his mate? None of that was possible.

* * *

He didn't bother to wave as Masamune drove up to his little sea side house. Perhaps there had been flowers in front of the peeling white paint of the picket fence once. It was impossible to imagine the drive way without cracks though, and think that there was green grass around the perimeter of the modest house instead of dirt patches. Kojuro's pickup truck, which was impeccably clean and shone like it was fresh from the car wash, felt incredibly out of place. It was too sparkly, just like Mitsutada.

After shutting off the engine, Masamune hopped from the truck with a movement that was more flourish than anything, brandishing a quick "Yo," as a greeting. He was followed by a quite muscular brunette who Ookurikara vaguely remembered meeting sometime in the past, but disliked for no apparent reason.

"Hello there!" Between the cheerful wave, the bright smile, and the yellow tank top, everything about him was blinding. Suddenly Ookurikara understood why he disliked the other man, adding his visage to a quickly growing list titled "Sparkly and Annoying Things."

"I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Tokugawa Ieyasu! I am delighted to see what you caught recently-I am sure that no matter how big it is, I can give it a good home at the aquarium." He held out a hand for Ookurikara to shake, smiling all the while. The fisherman slid his own dark colored hands into his pockets in response. Ieyasu's lips tightened a bit, but he kept up the smile and continued talking. "I brought a large privacy tank to transport your fish. The sides are blacked out so the whole transportation won't frighten it." He gestured to a large tank in the back of the truck that Ookurikara hadn't noticed before. He wordlessly walked over to inspect it.

"How's it look?" Masamune called with a grin.

"He'll fit," was the gruff reply.

The "Dragon" laughed in response and they all headed inside.

* * *

"Welcome home~!" A cheerful voice called from the bathroom, and Ookurikara gave a short reply. Masamune didn't have time to make a crack about the fisherman finally getting a boyfriend before the bathroom door was pulled open. Everything he had intended to say dried up in his very open mouth.

"Ookurikara, are these your friends? It's nice to meet you, my name is Mitsutada!"

A very enthusiastic merman was waving from his spot in the bathtub. From the long black (though Masamune swore it looked blue) tail to the webbed ears, the creature in front of him was very much like the creature described in stories. His skin was quite pale, and had an odd luminescent sheen to it, making the otherwise ordinary color something alien. His hair, however, was immaculately styled, holding perfect shape despite the humidity of the bathroom. All of the ogling stooped when Masamune noticed the eyepatch though. Both of their single eyes met, and in that moment there was complete understanding between the two men. Neither would need to ask to understand the mutual pain behind that leather, and at the same time, a sort of mutual respect was born.

A hand was held out, and it firmly shook a soggy gloved one. "Date Masamune." They both smiled, and Ookurikara swore something of a sparkle shown between them. "So," Masamune leaned in closer, a predatory grin on his face. "How long have you been fucking Ookurikara?"

There was no time to answer because only a split second later a very angry fisherman kicked the back of Masamune's exposed calves. He didn't go down though, only grinning harder through the pain. He figured he deserved that one at least. The question was rephrased: "How long have you been seeing Ookurikara?"

Mitsutada perked up at a question he understood. "We only became mates recently, but we have been seeing each other for about a year now!" Pink definitely dusted his cheeks, but the shimmer in his eye exposed how proud he was of all this, and that told Masamune everything he needed to know.

"/Good to hear/. That's something I can support. Glad that this grumpy bastard finally found someone who can put up with him." Masamune received another kick in the shin for his efforts.

Ieyasu was introduced after, but the two eyepatch wearing men were much focused on talking together to pay him much heed. That did bring the conversation to why the two were here though, and Masamune explained that Ookurikara had gone out of his way to get their help so that Mitsutada could have a better place to swim. The grumpier of the four didn't appreciate the patronizing attitude, but the look Mitsutada gave him after had his stomach doing flip flops, though he did his best to not let any of it show on his face. The conversation switched to Kojuro's truck and how they were planning on moving Mitsutada. Ieyasu suggested that they wheel the privacy tank into the house when Ookurikara interrupted.

"I'll carry him."

All Ieyasu could do was watch on in amazement while the mermaid mouthed "too cool" and the "dragon" gave a thumb's up. These three were crazy, but all cut from the same cloth. It seemed strange that this was the first time they had all interacted as a group since they acted like a matching set. "The Dragon and Eyepatch Trio!" Ieyasu proclaimed in his head, and couldn't help but laugh aloud after. It didn't matter though, because no one paid him any mind.

Ookurikara opted to sit in the back of the truck next to the tank, or rather had simply sat down next to it after placing Mitsutada in and refused to move. Ieyasu seemed worried about traffic regulations but Masamune had turned the engine on before he was able to complain much. While the grouchy fisherman told himself that he hadn't wanted to sit in the small cramped seat between the other two men, the look that Mitsutada had given him when he peeked out of the top of the tank seemed to suggest otherwise. He wanted to be closer to the other, even if he didn't want to admit it. This was the last time after all.

Every bump in the road tied the knot in his stomach a little tighter. He didn't want to say goodbye, that much was obvious, but they couldn't keep living like this. It was for the best. Still, his normal frown was a deep scowl by the time they finally arrived at the aquarium's back parking lot. Even Masamune knew better than to tease him about it.

The transfer from the black tank to the aquarium tank turned out to be quite easy and before he knew it, Mitsutada was happily swimming about a large clear tank in one of the backrooms. As soon as Ookurikara had set him down, the mermaid dove into the depths of the tank, performing a few turns and spins all breathtakingly fast. The fisherman knew the mermaid to be showing off, but still couldn't help but watch spellbound with the other two. He had seen his lover swim time and time again, but after all the time in the bathtub, he felt like he had forgotten what Mitsutada could actually do.

"What happened to his eye?" Ieyasu's sudden curiosity caught him off guard and he jerked his head around, clearly startled.

"Why should I know?" Averting his eyes, Ookurikara spat the words out. His hands squirmed deeper into his pockets.

"What about his hands then? It seems strange that he would wear human made items. Did something happen to him?"

The words seemed to fall like stones from the sky. Ookurikara could only stare wordlessly at the mermaid he had been seeing for over a year now as each sentence weighed him down. He had never even considered the possibility that something was wrong with Mitsutada's hands. In fact, he had never realized that the other never took his gloves off. It had always just been one part of the many things that Ookurikara accepted about the other. Come to think of it, hadn't he gotten those gloves from his other human friend, "Sada-Chan"? The fisherman's fists tightened. Someone knew more than he did about Mitsutada. In fact, it seemed like he didn't know anything about his supposed "mate" at all.

Mitsutada took that exact moment to pop out of the tank with a splash. He threw his hair back in a way that very much mimicked a shampoo commercial and Ookurikara hated how incredibly hot he always managed to look. "The tank is wonderful! Thank you so much, Ieyasu-San!" He was particularly sparkling and Ookurikara was a bit bothered by how goddamn happy he looked. It was definitely better if they didn't live together. "Kuri-Chan, thank you for bringing me here!"

The focus was on him now and he faltered.

"Yeah, whatever." He couldn't meet the other's eye.

A hand beckoned him closer and he was pulled into a tight hug. Mitsutada was smiling too much. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Goodbye, Mitsutada" The words came out as he pulled out of the hug and turned away. He couldn't look back, unable to stomach the fact that this was the last time he would see the mermaid.

 _TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

The tank was vast. Mitsutada could easily make it to a sprint without needing to worry about slamming into the other side of the glass. He could do flips and twirls and stretch out all the muscles that had been unused for the last week or so. He could swim freely without running into anything or anyone. There was no one to run into. He was alone in the tank.

The first day hadn't been lonely. Mitsutada was accustomed to long hours of silence by now and he had been excited to explore his new temporary home. The tank was fairly boring and plain, most likely because Ieyasu hadn't known what kind of fish to prepare for. It was clean though, and the water tasted like the ocean. Mitsutada had no complaints. If he peeked out of the top, he could see the rest of the room, which he might have appreciated more if there was anything in the room to see. It was obviously the back of the back of the back room, the sort of thing that was necessary when you were hiding a mermaid. Of course even then, it would have been nice to have other fish to talk with, especially since there were so many tanks about. But his was the only one that was filled.

The second day he chatted with Ieyasu for a good twenty or thirty minutes when the human brought him food (a fish that wasn't all that good, especially after all the convenience store sushi). Mitsutada had been so distracted by Masamune the day previous that he hadn't paid the other human much mind. He was quite nice though, and they had a good conversation. He explained some of the history of the aquarium and promised to talk more when he had the time.

By the third day, Mitsutada caved and asked about Ookurikara. It felt silly to want to see him -it had only been a few days after all-but after living so close, it was incredibly alien to not have the other around. He didn't want to be a bother of course, so he tried to be subtle about it, asking casually if Ieyasu had heard from the fisherman since the other day. "Miss him already?" Was followed by a short laugh when he realized how red the mermaid's face was. He explained that he hadn't heard from him yet, but that it was only a matter of time.

"For the meantime though, how about someone to keep you company? How would you feel about sharing your tank with a large fish?" Ieyasu's kindness shouldn't have come as a surprise, but Mitsutada's face lit up with a soft smile regardless. He hadn't talked to anything but humans in so long that the thought of being able to speak to another fish was more than enough to tweak the corners of his mouth.

The next day, Mitsutada started sharing his tank with a whale shark. Before he moved her in, Ieyasu explained that she was an older shark that had been living at the aquarium for years. She was a bit past her prime and he was worried about her health in a tank with many other fish, so he thought the quietness of the back would be good for her. Plus Mitsutada could look after her in case her health took a turn for the worse.

It had been ages since Mitsutada had been entrusted with anything and something about it was incredibly cool. He wasted no time swimming up and introducing himself, not even realizing that he had surprised Ieyasu. "Wait, you can talk to fish too?"

It turned out that the whale shark was actually far older than Ieyasu had said and as such welcomed the rest this back tank granted her. Conversation with her came easily-despite all her years in the aquarium, she had seen many things in the ocean. Her old territory was not too far from Mitsutada's underwater cave, and the two made fast friends remembering the same places. All of her experience meant she had endless stories to tell too. The days passed much more quickly with her in the tank, and Mitsutada felt a bit more like himself.

Of course, he still wanted to see his mate though. On the week mark, he decided to be more direct. "Will you contact Kuri-Chan for me? I want to make sure that he's alright." Ieyasu was more than happy to agree, promising to do so after work that evening and update the mermaid the next day. He was sure that the other's fisherman boyfriend was just busy and would be by to see him soon. Mitsutada smiled at this and tried his best not to worry. Worrying wasn't cool after all.

He couldn't help but worry when he saw Ieyasu's apologetic smile the next day. "I went to call Ookurikara and then I realized that I don't have his phone number," this explanation was followed by a nervous laugh, and Mitsutada's own smile widened. It didn't reach his eyes though. "I can call Masamune tonight and ask him to pass on the message, if that would help."

"If you could." There had been too much relying on people recently. From Ookurikara, to Masamune, and now Ieyasu, he had done nothing but accept others' kindness. Of course, letting other people help you was important for them as well as for you, but... Mitsutada frowned as the whale shark watched on. He hadn't supported himself at all recently. Somehow the scale had managed to become unbalanced and he didn't know how to amend it. It shouldn't be strange to want to swim with your own fins. Here Mitsutada rubbed his temples. But how was he supposed to swim on his own when there was nothing but land?

* * *

Two weeks passed. Ieyasu's smiles grew more awkward and he assured the fretting merman that Masamune would call him back as soon as he got in touch with Ookurikara. Mitsutada had started swimming back and forth in the tank as a sort of pacing. He wasn't worried about his Kuri-Chan. The fisherman was an adult and could take care of himself, even against those awful Keibishi and their foul ship and guns. He could hold his own, even if he was all alone against a group of many. Ookurikara didn't need help, or rather, never asked for it. He was fine, for sure.

But the lies Mitsutada told himself only stressed him out more.

The fact that Masamune hadn't contacted Ieyasu yet meant that he couldn't get a hold of Ookurikara. Of course, there were sure to be plenty of times he didn't have his phone him or maybe he had just been lazy about calling back. It wasn't as if he was unable to reach his phone because something had happened to him. And of course it wasn't because he didn't want to see Mitsutada anymore. He would show up any day now.

But the days kept passing, and not only did Mitsutada miss his mate, but he also missed the sea. He had figured out sometime in the first week that while the water tasted like the sea, it wasn't actually real sea water, something which the whale shark agreed was quite unfortunate indeed. The tank was certainly large, but nothing could compare to the never-ending vastness of the ocean. Where was the brine? Where was the stretch of seaweed and the light that filtered down and sparkled on bubbles? He missed the sound of the waves, and the colors that played across the top of the water when the sun set. Things were too sterile here.

He couldn't remember when he had last seen his family or friends. Sada-Chan must have been worried for sure. It had been ages since he last caught his own food; was he even still able to? Could he navigate through tricky rocks at top speed anymore? Did he remember the best places in the ocean to find sea urchins and the places to avoid?

Even rolling in memories, he couldn't quite grasp the ones he wanted. He recalled the many hours he spent combing the sea floor bottom for beautiful shells to present to Ookurikara. Or the practice it had taken to catch some of the rare fish he had used to prepare meals for the other. He wanted to go back to that pier. He wanted to chat until the sun went down and then pull Ookurikara down into the waves with him. It would be perfect, water still warm from the daylight, but dark enough to hide the fact that Ookurikara was very quickly losing items of clothing. If only he could mate with him in the water, feeling the waves splash against his back as the fisherman groaned in front of him. He needed the salt and the murky water and /Ookurikara/.

A long sigh escaped his lips, unbidden.

* * *

Somewhere between the second week slipping into the third, the whale shark took it upon herself to do something.

"Hmm? Oh, don't bother yourself with me. I am fine by all accounts." The smile wasn't fooling anyone, but Mitsutada had always been about keeping up appearances.

"I- Do I really look that distressed?" The mermaid sagged even more visibly and had to focus to keep himself from drifting to the bottom of the tank. There were probably bags under his eyes from the past few nights when he had been unable to fall asleep. He hadn't been eating enough either. It was obvious that things were very wrong. And with this, he had worried the whale shark, something which was not only inconsiderate, but also very un-cool. Of course, he missed his mate. Of course he missed the sea. Would he be willing to do anything to leave this place, and seek things out for himself?

"It's only natural that I would be willing to take on anything to get myself back to Kuri-Chan."

The whale paused, obviously considering what she was about to suggest. You see, if Mitsutada wanted it desperately enough, she could grant him the power to leave here and return to his mate. But in exchange, he would become something monstrous. She warned him that she knew no fish willing to go to such lengths, because not only did you become something hideous, but irreversibly so.

"You can do magic?" This bit of information was far more interesting than the consequences, since Mitsutada had already given up everything at this point. Without Ookurikara or the ocean, there was nothing left to lose.

The whale shark was quite amused by his question, but responded seriously nonetheless.

Anything that is loved enough can do magic.

And with that line echoing in his head, Mitsutada agreed.

* * *

It wasn't painful, at first. Everything tingled, like a small fire raced across his skin from the end of his tail all the way up to his scalp. It was warm and almost ticklish. A short laugh escaped his mouth, and that's when the pain seized him. Instead of breathing evenly as he usually did in the water, suddenly he was choking. Everything felt constricting and gasping only made it infinitely worse. Further, when he tried to swim up to the surface, his body felt endlessly heavy and his limbs were slow to respond. He barely managed to breach the water and grip the sides of the tank, coughing up water and shaking pitifully.

Being in the water had never felt so strange.

When the coughing finally subsided, and his lungs felt less like they were full of rocks, he took a moment to examine himself. His skin was slightly pinker and had lost some of its sheen. Otherwise his upper body was exactly the same as it was before. Looking down is what surprised him. He had legs. The long sparkling tail that he had always been so proud of had been exchanged for two incredibly human looking legs—smooth and pink and accompanied by the other parts that humans bore on their lower halves. Realizing that he wasn't too different from Ookurikara now, Mitsutada let out a laugh. Surely there was nothing "hideous" about this!

Without thinking, he dove back into the tank so he could share his happy news with the whale shark. The moment his body was fully immersed, the pain set in. While the water was usually filtered through his nostrils, this time it rushed in, suffocating him. His open eyes stung in the salt. His new legs flailed uselessly. He only just barely managed to get back to the side of the tank, repeating his coughing spell from earlier. This was ridiculous. How was he so exhausted already? So he couldn't breathe or see underwater anymore. That wasn't about to stop him from telling the whale shark that this new body wasn't that bad. He could learn to swim again. The fisherman could swim after all, so that meant that humans were capable, even if not to the same extent as mermaids. This time, he clamped his nose shut with his fingers before sinking back into the water. His eyes didn't sting as much if he opened them slowly. He could make this work. There was a smile on his lips when he opened his mouth to tell the whale shark this.

Water rushed into his mouth and down into his lungs for the third time that day.

It was only then, as he hacked up salt water on the edge of the tank that he fully realized the horror of what had happened to him. He could learn to swim again with time, but he would never again explore the depths of the ocean or swim for hours at a time. He couldn't filter water through his lungs like he had done before. And as a human, he could only understand other humans. He would never talk to another fish again. The whale shark looked on sadly from the depths of the tank.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mitsutada had decided to leave without saying anything to Ieyasu.

It was simpler than having to explain things and deal with the surprise and questions that would undoubtedly follow. It was hard enough for himself to believe that he could now move about (somewhat) easily on land. He didn't need a human staring at his new legs. The goal was to get to Ookurikara as fast as possible. He wanted to make certain that he was safe and unharmed.

Of course, looking back, it might have been easier if he had indeed sought out help.

Learning to walk had taken the majority of the morning, and was an embarrassing process that the ex-mermaid was glad he didn't need to go through again. Thankfully the back room was empty as usual, and the whale shark (hopefully) hadn't been able to see from her spot in the tank. Of course, working legs or no, there was still one thing barring him from blending in with other humans-clothes. The transformation hadn't magically come with some sort of censorship and given him cute clothes or anything to move about in. Which meant he only had what he had been wearing as a mermaid-his eyepatch and a pair of gloves.

And Mitsutada had met enough humans to know that clothes were an important thing. They didn't make sense in the water of course, but after realizing that his privates were completely exposed, and couldn't be put away or protected, the need for garments made so much more sense. Of course there were none in the back room, so he realized that he would need to explore be a bit more before leaving. Unfortunately, the door that Ieyasu usually came through was locked, meaning he couldn't look for clothes that way. However, there was a second door on a side wall, and it looked promising. He gave the whale shark a quick thumbs up before pushing it open.

Everything was blinding. He hadn't been outside in weeks, so the sudden appearance of the sun overwhelmed his lone eye. With one hand held up to try and create some shade over his face, he let the door close with his other. Instead of smooth concrete, the ground was thick black asphalt and the space was incredibly open and empty. Was this the sort of space that humans used to store cars? Regardless, this was outside, and not a place he could find clothing. While knowing the exit to the aquarium was a nice thing, Mitsutada still hadn't achieved his main objective. For now he should go back inside and try and find some sort of clothing items. He turned back to the door and tried the handle.

It was locked.

The horror took a moment to set in as he tried the door once again before looking around more carefully at his surroundings. The building was surrounded by asphalt and he could see a few cars. Beyond that was the ocean, which might have been exciting if not for the giant fence which barred his way. If he looked to the other side of the building, it looked like there was another, shorter fence, presumably because this was the space for employees and that was the space for visitors. The increased number of cars on that side meant a likely increase in people, something that he wanted to avoid if possible. Of course, the fence in the front was much shorter, so he could probably climb that, then skirt around the bigger fence so he could get to the sea.

Even if he had clothes, he hadn't been able to see how they had gotten here from Ookurikara's apartment, so getting back might be more of a task than his new legs were up to. If he could get to the ocean though, he could slowly make his way back to the pier he always met his fisherman at. His lack of clothes also wouldn't be a problem in the water.

Even with all his plans set though, Mitsutada had to take a moment to put his face in his hands. The word "uncool" echoed in his mind. He was still buck-naked and he had locked himself out of the aquarium. He needed to get back to Ookurikara as fast as possible and make sure that no one ever learned about this. Ever.

He took a deep breath, and set off.

* * *

Albeit quite short, the fence still proved to be a bit of a problem, simply because Mitsutada had never climbed a fence before in his life. Figuring out how to raise his is legs individually and to the right heights had been a task for sure. In the end, he wound up with a few scratches on his otherwise pale legs-he was dreading explaining them to his fisherman mate. He had never been one to show off his wounds and scars, preferring instead to hide them.

After the fence, it was just a matter of dashing from bush to bush, avoiding people at all costs. Everything had been surprisingly easy thus far. He hadn't seen any people, and plenty of bushes presented themselves as perfect hiding places. In no time at all, the ocean was in sight. He just had to dash from the last bush to the beach, where the water was waiting with open arms. Of course, there was an open road between him and the beach, and then he would have to cover some sand. But, he could do this.

Unfortunately, he didn't even make it to the sand. His feet were still on the concrete of the road when he heard a piercing sound and the wheels of a car. The ringing was loud and kept repeating the same few notes. All his instincts told him to run, which might have helped if his brain was accustomed a human body. Instead his legs tried to move at the same time, as if he was swimming, and it was a wonder he didn't fall over. By the time he had regained some of his composure (this day was just one uncool train wreck after another), the car had pulled up beside him, the ringing of the siren louder than ever.

"Sir, I am afraid I am going to have to put you under arrest for public indecency."

Out of the car came two men, one slightly taller with short hair of a soft turquoise color, and the second with tussled silver hair and one of those surgical masks people wear during the allergy season. Mitsutada realized he was slightly taller than both of them. The turquoise haired man wore an extremely serious expression, hands on his hips and lips in a firm frown. He still somehow managed to be incredibly polite though, and Mitsutada was sure they could have been friends in different circumstances. At the moment though, he really should be running, or would be if something else hadn't completely captured his attention.

Their clothes were amazing.

Thus far Mitsutada had only interacted with humans in very casual clothes, which these were definitely not. Ookurikara's clothes in particular didn't fit him very well, loosely hanging over his frame and hiding the fairly nice body underneath. They were also most definitely wrinkled and pushed or rolled out of the way so that they wouldn't get in the way when he was fishing. Mitsutada absolutely adored his mate, but if he had to put things plainly, he would say that the fisherman's clothes were not stylish at all.

These clothes, however,

These were different.

The dark blue fabric very elegantly traced their forms in a way that both exposed their physique while still hiding the skin underneath. The lines made sharp and dramatic shapes. Everything was pressed. White collars adorned necks in a way that seemed exceptionally suave, all the while black ties peeked out from underneath, the very picture of control and composure. The clean lines of their slacks remained perfect even though they had been sitting in a car. The black shoes that stood out proudly underneath seemed to be both serviceable and fashionable; Mitsutada couldn't help but note with approval that they had been polished. Gold buttons gleamed in the sunlight. The last time Mitsutada had been this enraptured was when he had first seen Ookurikara.

"Sir, would you care to explain your current state of undress?" The turquoise haired man seemed to be understandably uncomfortable with all of Mitsutada's staring, but also capable of bringing everyone's focus back to the task at hand. He began asking Mitsutada a quick series of questions while his partner watched silently. They were all coming too fast and Mistutada realized that he would need to start lying quickly. Of course, at this moment, he remembered that humans didn't use the word "mate," but instead had two different words: wife and husband. They were different, but he couldn't put his finger on why, so in his panic, he used the first one that came to mind.

"My wife left me near here and I'm trying to return to my home." It was close enough to the truth.

"Ah, so your wife has your clothing then? Why on Earth would she take your clothes and leave you behind?" The more talkative officer's voice sounded as scandalized as Mitsutada felt.

"I have to wonder if he's mad at me." The ex-mermaid certainly hoped not, but the lie came out smoothly.

"She must be quite mad then!" Even astounded, the officer still managed to be somewhat polite. So polite even, that he seemed unable to end the conversation, which wouldn't have been a problem if Mitsutada had been able to dig himself out of the hole he had created. Instead, the two traded awkward but controlled smiles until the second officer stopped them.

"Give him some clothes." Although it was quite simple, the suggestion still seemed to come as a bit of a shock to the first officer, who only gaped at his partner with a mouth that wasn't quite open.

"But can't we just take him back to his residence?" When his mostly silent partner just stared at him in response, the taller of the two seemed to pause and reconsider. "But then he would be naked in the patrol car and we can't have that…"

There was of course a spare pair of pants and a button up shirt in the car, but both were much too small, more to Mitsutada's dismay than anyone else's. He couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at how his ankles and wrists were exposed, and how the shirt didn't quite button over his chest.

"Shopping," the silver haired officer offered.

His partner seemed a bit perplexed about the idea of going shopping while they were supposed to be on duty, protecting the safety of the citizens. But then he reasoned that the citizens couldn't be safe if there was a man streaking about, so really this was the best thing for everyone. It took a bit more prompting from the silver haired officer, but then they were off. Before he even quite understood what was going on, Mitsutada was in a mall for his very first time.

There was so much to see and take in, but he didn't have the chance to gawk at anything before they arrived at the men's department. The silver haired officer gestured abruptly to the suits and slacks. Mitsutada almost sparkled. He spent a bit of time fussing over which dark pants were a nicer black, and then how to properly tie a tie, but with a bit of welcome assistance from the turquoise haired police officer, he was completely set with a new outfit.

It was the most comfortable he had felt since he became human. From the neck down, he wound up with a nice white button-up shirt under a fitted black vest and adorned with a black silk tie. His pants were also black (Both the pants and vest were a lighter black, not quite a grey, whereas the tie was pitch black. This created a good balance, he thought.), and made his legs seem even longer. He even found a pair of polished black loafers (comfortable, but stylish) and black socks. (The officers had even been thoughtful enough to buy him a pair of boxers too.) His gloves and eyepatch didn't feel quite so out of place now—it was like this was the style he was destined for. Looking in the mirror, he couldn't dim his smirk. He couldn't wait to show Ookurikara!

The silent officer gave a nod of approval while the other complimented him with a smile. However, that quickly vanished when he realized that he would be paying for everything. With a sigh that seemed practiced, he trudged off to the register, while Mitsutada looked at the remaining officer with genuine appreciation.

"I don't know how I am supposed to thank you for all of this."

The officer looked at him, expression blank. Slowly, he reached up to his surgical mask, and pulled it down, keeping eye contact with Mitsutada all the while. It seemed the mask was for keeping away eyes and not flower pollen, because the officer had strange markings on his face that would have made anyone stare. The thin lines were a pale gold that almost shimmered in the harsh light of the department store. They ran across his cheeks and near his mouth almost like whiskers, an analogy that seemed more plausible when he smiled. His teeth were unusually sharp and almost canine.

"We do not belong here with humans, but yet we are here nonetheless." The words were quiet but firm. They hovered in the air and he let Mitsutada breathe them in before continuing. "Do not thank me. Instead, next time you meet one of our kind, return the favor." And with that, he replaced his mask and walked off, leaving the implications trailing slowly behind him.

* * *

It was long past dinner time by the time the patrol car finally pulled up at the small beach house that belonged to Ookurikara. Even in the dim light, the rundown state was apparent enough to make the more talkative police officer pause before looking back at Mitsutada in his new suit and tie. It was obvious that the ex-mermaid didn't quite suit the peeling paint and dirt yard. "It's my wife's house," he explained as the other officer opened the door for him. He thanked them again and waved with a smile before gently pushing the gate open and walking to the door. It was, thankfully, unlocked, which seemed to put the officers at ease, since they drove away soon after.

And just like that, he was back in Ookurikara's house. However, though the door was unlocked, the lights were all very much off, and it was obvious that the owner was not at home. It didn't come as much of a surprise to Mitsutada, who remembered that some of the best fish came out in the evenings. Surely, if the ex-mermaid were to go back to their dock, he would find the fisherman sitting on that same pier, looking out at the horizon quietly. Wouldn't it be wonderful to show up with a smile like always but, this time from the dock instead of the waves? He smiled softly at the thought.

He didn't admit to himself that he was trying hard not to think about the keibishi. If anything had happened to his mate, he wouldn't forgive himself. Of course, if nothing had happened, why was it that he had been left alone all that time? Mitsutada clenched his fists. The dark house didn't give him any answers, but it did somewhat distract him from his thoughts. While it shouldn't have looked any different, there was something about having the freedom to be able to move around which changed the space entirely. It seemed much less magical and much smaller. Of course, there were still quite an array of interesting things, and Mitsutada was excited to see what each of them did. Humans had so many interesting the convenient contraptions! First thing was first though, he needed to see Ookurikara. With a smile, he turned on his heel.

And promptly fell on his ass.

The brand new legs which had so valiantly held him up for all his adventures today finally ran out of energy. He had definitely noted the pain, but figured that it wasn't important. Unfortunately, it seemed like it wasn't the kind of thing he could ignore. With a grimace, the ex-mermaid tried to stand up again, legs wobbling pitifully as his arms steadied himself against the wall. If he moved slowly, maybe…

His ass hit the floor again.

Gritting his teeth, Mitsutada slowly managed to pull himself up. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to make it to the dock without hurting himself, or worse, damaging his new clothes. Perhaps it would be better to wait for the fisherman here. He sighed. Step by step, the quivering man managed to make it to the room where he was pretty sure Ookurikara slept. He was a bit worried about wrinkling his new clothes, but didn't quite have the energy to take them off before he collapsed in his mate's bed. The scent that he had only barely forgotten came back to him suddenly, and Mitsutada was soon fast asleep, dreaming about the fisherman he so desperately wanted to meet.

 _TBC..._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When Ookurikara came home that night, he didn't even bother to turn the lights on.

He immediately stubbed his toe on the stand in the entryway, but he figured he deserved it.

After he left Mitsutada behind at the aquarium, he had let himself stagnate. He worked and he ate and he fished, but he was doing everything robotically. After all of the excitement and chaos of saving Mitsutada and bringing him back home, life seemed flavorless. He remembered how he used to live and what he used to do, but it was all so extremely boring. And he was mad about it. To suddenly feel like he was lacking something in life, although he should have no complaints... it was awful. God damn, Mitsutada, making him suddenly miss people. Well, not people, but one mermaid. He spent the first week pretending not to miss him at all. He went to the dock. He stared at the horizon. He fished. He tried desperately to stop thinking that every sudden wave was Mitsutada come to say hello. When he was hungry, he ate the usual, but thought about the fish that he used to be given. When it was time to clean up, he idly wondered why Mitsutada hadn't come by, before kicking himself for not remembering. All he could think about was what he didn't have.

So the next week, he stopped going fishing. He spent the second week cooped up in his house, watching movies, taking naps, playing games, even cleaning. But the more he tried not to think about it, the more he did. He couldn't deny that he desperately wanted to see Mitsutada. And the thought pissed him off.

So he spent a week pouting about it.

And at the end of the week, he realized that the last two week's worth of effort had been pointless. With a sigh, he a swiped his keys off the countertop and left the house without even bothering to lock to door. His scooter waited for him in the driveway (cars were expensive and unnecessary), and he started up the ignition effortlessly. Gripping his handles a bit tighter than recommended, he kicked the kickstand back and pushed off, accelerating into the twenty minute drive to the aquarium. Mitsutada was probably mad. It has been a whole two weeks and he hadn't even tried to call (not that he knew Ieyasu's number, but it would have been easy enough to Google the aquarium). But maybe that was for the best. Maybe then he could admit to himself that he wanted the mermaid back, even if it was just to live in his own bathtub. He wondered what kind of face Mitsutada would make. Maybe he would wave and pull himself out of the pool so he could sit next to Ookurikara. Maybe they would kiss. The fisherman found himself smiling. Of course, perhaps before he left the house he should have considered:

The aquarium was closed on Sundays.

Monday was just as bad, because although the aquarium was open that day, Ieyasu wasn't in, and without him, there was no way to convince the aquarium staff to let him in the backroom. He stood in the parking lot staring at the building forlornly. Mitsutada was so incredibly close. He contemplated breaking in for a moment before remembering that it would be hard to make a clean get away on his scooter-he wouldn't be able to steer and hold the mermaid after all. As he got ready for the night shift that evening, he promised himself that he would catch a few hours of sleep after work and then go to the aquarium as soon as it opened.

That wasn't soon enough though.

The next morning, he got a call saying that Mitsutada was missing.

It was nine AM, and he had gotten off at six, and everything was still terribly fuzzy. Masamune was trying to be cool about the whole thing, but he was beating around the bush so much that Ookurikara couldn't even understand what he was getting at. Only after the tired fisherman had snapped at him did Masamune reveal the facts in full. The words took a moment to settle into his brain. Then he leapt out of bed. Not bothering to toss on more than a T-shirt and jeans, he kicked his door open and jumped on his bike.

The whole ride to the aquarium, the only thing he could think about was the knot in his stomach and the hundreds of questions buzzing about in his head.

Where was Mitsutada?

Who had taken him from the backroom?

Why had they taken him?

How could Ookurikara get him back?

He met Masamune and Ieyasu at the aquarium, and they spent the day searching around town. They asked at all the fish shops. Ieyasu filed a report at the police station that a "large fish" had been stolen from the aquarium. Masamune went snooped about sketchy corners that probably should have been avoided. Ookurikara scoured every dock for any sign of the Keibishi's ships. At the end of the day, Masamune passed him a coffee and sympathetically patted his shoulder. Ieyasu looked like he wanted to do the same, but seemed worried to get too close. Downing the coffee in one go, the fisherman tossed it in the garbage before turning to his scooter without another word.

"We'll meet up again and keep looking, /y'hear?/" Masamune called after him.

Ookurikara turned the ignition.

* * *

Back in the black of his apartment, the tired and upset fisherman nursed his stubbed toe while trying not to contemplate what would have happened if he had just gone to visit Mitsutada earlier. Would it really have changed anything? He sighed and slowly made his way to his bedroom.

Even in the dark, Ookurikara knew his room. And right now, there was most definitely something in there that hadn't been there this morning. He froze, hands twitching for a weapon or _something_ as he inched closer to try and figure out what it was. It was then that he realized he was using the wrong question. Not what, but /who/? There was most definitely an unknown person lying on his bed.

It only took him a minute to find the baseball bat that Masamune had bought him a few years back to try to get him into the sport. This was the first time he was actually using it, but he realized he would have to thank the idiot "dragon" later. Gripping the bat tightly in one hand, he reached for his bedroom light switch with the other; he could flip on the lights, and while the person was dazed by the sudden brightness, knock them out and then call the police. He had never felt the need to call the police before, but he couldn't carry an unconscious person to the police office and ride his scooter at the same time. He took a deep breath and flipped the switch.

His left hand immediately flew to the bat so he could grip it tightly. Raising it high over his head, he paused to better examine he person he was about to hit. They were dressed impeccably for a burglar and had dark blue hair that was incredibly well styled and looked a tad bit familiar…

Ookurikara froze.

"Mitsutada?"

The figure on the bed seemed to have been a bit bothered by the light, but he squirmed even more at the fisherman's voice, blearily opening one eye while sitting up slowly.

"K-Kuri-Chan?"

The arms holding the baseball bat fell limply to his sides while Ookurikara stared in disbelief at the person in front of him. The face and the hair were unmistakably Mitsutada's. The webbed ears that normally adorned the sides of his face were gone though, replaced by smaller, pink, human ones. His body too, was obviously human in the way that it was clothed from neck to toe, not to mention the very separate two legs that now hung over the side of the bed. He was still wearing those same leather gloves though. And the question was out of the fisherman's mouth before he even processed the words.

"What are you doing here?" After spending the whole day dashing all over town for any sign of the mermaid, to have him show up in his very bed was, well, overwhelming, to say the least.

The merman, no, human, was obviously still half asleep, and could only look at his lover with confusion. "This is our home?"

It was the wrong thing to say. Ookurikara didn't even know where the anger came from. He hated when anyone assumed anything about him, and regardless of how much he wanted to see Mitsutada, that didn't stop him from needing to correct an error. "This is _my_ home." And then, without even meaning to say it, the second part tumbled out after. "You don't belong here." All the exhaustion was weighing heavily on his mind, and he couldn't stop himself even though he knew this would hurt the mermaid.

The darker haired man was completely awake now, and looking at his lover with confusion that wasn't hiding the hurt beneath. "But you're my mate. We're supposed to be together."

He was clenching the bat again, and all the feelings from before he had said goodbye two weeks ago came rushing back. "I can't be your mate."

The room went silent. Mitsutada stared, eye wide in shock and lips half parted, whatever he had been about to say dead in his mouth. It suddenly felt like the air was choking him. Ookurikara tried to breathe, regretting the words, but knowing that he needed to say them regardless. They couldn't do this. Sooner or later, one of them was going to break. He couldn't handle the expression on the ex-mermaid's face though.

"I-" There was so much torment there, as he struggled to stomach what had just been said to him. But then the memories of two weeks of silence came back to him. Ookurikara didn't want him around after all. Pink lips tightened into a thin line. "I should leave then."

He caught Ookurikara's eyes with his own, before looking away, down to where his gloved hands had shrunk into fists. He attempted a smile, but it only stretched his face out further. Slowly uncurling his hands, he placed them on either side of the bed, steading himself before he attempted to straighten his legs. He was only up for a moment before they buckled underneath him and he fell to the floor.

"Mitsutada?!" The worry was instinctive, and Ookurikara's body moved to try and catch the other without thinking.

His hands were slapped away.

"I'm fine," the blue haired man all but hissed, glaring from his pathetic spot on the floor.

Ookurikara could only watch as he reached for the bed with shaking arms and slowly tried to pull his body up again. The clock ticked and Mitsutada grunted. It took him some time, but finally he was up again, striking the fisherman with a bitter look as his body teetered. He gingerly let go of the bed. He could do this. He just needed to move cautiously and patiently. Taking a deep breath, and using that and his spite to steady himself, Mitsutada tried to take another step. He hit the floor much harder this time. The pain froze him temporarily, and he could only cringe. Ookurikara was at his side again, hands reaching out to steady him before they were pushed away. He _would_ do this on his own.

He didn't look up at the fretting fisherman as he weakly dragged himself across the hardwood floor. He wasn't sure where he was supposed to go or what he was trying to accomplish. After all of the fretting and all the pain it had taken to get here, the man who was supposedly his mate didn't want him. A lot of him wondered if he needed to slow down and try and talk this through. Ookurikara wasn't a diamond in the rough, he _was_ the rough. Since they had first met, he always spoken harshly, and often hid his true feelings. This time shouldn't be any different. Mitsutada had just said something to offend him, that's all. Of course, it had been a long and lonely two weeks. And when he thought about it, when push came to shove, Ookurikara almost always admitted his true feelings. Why was this to be any different?

Mitsutada only made it as far as the kitchen before he had to pause to rest. His body ached everywhere and he really just wanted to sleep. Everything ounce of his body wished to collapse into the floor, give up. Leaning his head against the wall, he decided to close his eye for just a second.

* * *

The feeling of gently being lifted brought him into wakefulness, and he could only blink at the tanned face of the man who was carrying him.

"Kuri-Chan…?"

The arms holding him shifted slightly, trying to hide embarrassment. Mitsutada realized that they had just now arrived in the bedroom. How long had he been asleep?

"…I'm sorry." The voice was quiet, and not nearly as committal as the ex-mermaid would have liked. Still, he heard the words clearly, and the fact that they had been said truly meant a lot. After everything that had happened though, just that wasn't enough.

"I'm still mad."

This earned him a snort, and the words seemed much easier and more natural this time: "I know."

He was set down in the bed carefully, sheets having already been pushed to the side so he could settle without effort. He didn't protest, especially not against the soft mattress. His lone eye locked on the pair that were the same color as his, and the two stared each other down for a moment. Ookurikara bowed first.

"Stay here." It was much more of a command than a request, and Mitsutada wasn't about to let it slide through the ambiguous cracks.

"For how long?" Even exhausted as he was, he took the time to laboriously fold his arms and tilt his head slightly.

"...At least for tonight." With eyes that seemed suddenly hesitant to meet his, Ookurikara answered cautiously.

Mitsutada tsked and unfolded his arms. "Very well, but I expect a better apology in the morning."

This earned him a tentative but definite smile. "Of course." A tanned hand reached out, as if he wanted to touch the other's face, before it was pulled back quickly. "Good night," he forced out the greeting as he turned off the lights.

Footsteps made their way from the wall to the other edge of the bed, which shifted as Ookurikara crawled in. There was plenty of room between the two of them, but Mitsutada had never been able to actually sleep next to the other before, despite the number of times they had made love. After all this time, he was just a few feet away. His body heat radiated towards the other side of the bed. His scent wrapped all around the other. And yet, this time, Ookurikara felt further away than ever.

 _TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Mitsutada woke up, he was alone.

Warm sheets wrapped around him, and everything still smelled of _Ookurikara._ So much of him wanted to snuggle back down, and close his eyes again. The slight ache in his legs reminded him of yesterday's events and that made him even more resistant to getting up. It would be much easier to pretend it never happened and let it slip into the obscurity of memory. If he focused his thoughts on the ocean-waves lapping up against the shore and the sound of the wind on open water-forgetting everything else was easy.

He couldn't forget Ookurikara though.

With a sigh, he pushed the sheets off himself, and stuck his legs out over the edge of the bed. The sudden lack of heat made him regret his decision immediately, but it was too late to stop now. His legs felt considerably lighter than the previous night, but they were still brand new, and he figured it would be better to be safe than sorry; the memory of all the times he fell over yesterday made him cringe. With this in mind, he put his weight on his heels experimentally. They seemed to hold fine, so he slowly stood up, frowning a bit at the dull ache in new muscles. He could walk, albeit slowly. Before he left the room though, he decided to attempt to fix the sheets on the bed. He wasn't sure how to properly arrange them, and from the look of it, neither did Ookurikara; they were quite wrinkled, and tossed in a mound in the center of the bed. Even after straightening and flattening them, the wrinkles persisted. Still, they were evenly distributed now, which was a start. His frown deepened, but he figured there wasn't anything else to be done about it now. Step by step, he made his way out of the room and towards the kitchen.

From the sound of sizzling and the smell of some kind of food, Ookurikara 's current activities were easy enough to understand. However, they were a bit harder to believe, since all the time that Mitsutada had known the fisherman, he had never once actually seen evidence that he could or did cook. Even with fishing, he typically released everything he caught because cleaning and gutting the fish felt like too much of a hassle. So of course Mitsutada was surprised when entered the kitchen to see the other man clad in an apron (the short kind that only covers your waist), with all his attention on the stove. He turned at the sound, and soon his expression mirrored Mitsutada's own.

"You can walk?"

Though it was more of a precaution than anything, Mitsutada's hands rested heavily on the door frame. Anyone could see that he had arrived on his own though, so for the moment he decided not to fret too much. "I walked plenty yesterday. My legs were just worn out last evening; they're brand new after all." After everything, he felt terribly defensive, and it leaked through into his voice.

"How long have you...?" The shock hadn't left Ookurikara though, and in that moment, both of them realized that the fisherman had no idea when the mermaid had become and ex-mermaid. Before the other opted to answer though, a bit of hot oil from whatever fried in the pan flew up and struck Ookurikara's arm. He turned back to his previous task with a slight curse.

This gave the fresh and curious human enough time to really look at the things being cooked. A bowl of some sort of semi-liquid took up space on one side of the stove, and a plate with what looked like flat, round, soft bread was visible on the other side. Based on the smell, Mitsutada would say that this food was best with sweets. Ookurikara brought jam and some kind of syrup to the table with the finished product soon after and the new human mentally patted himself on the back. He needed to get used to the human way of living since his mermaid tail was never coming back, and he liked the idea of cooking quite a bit.

So much, it seemed, that he forgot about the tension between the two of them and eagerly dug into the new food when it was offered. On its own, the food was soft and pleasant tasting, but the syrup and the jam definitely did wonders. A smile of contentment washed over his face as he savored a bite covered in a bit of fruit jam. These were amazing.

"Glad you like the pancakes." The sudden comment caused the ex-mermaid jump slightly, which only made the tanned man sitting across from him smile more. Well, it wasn't _really_ a big smile, but it was definitely notable for him.

"They're wonderful, Kuri-Chan," the response came easily and honestly.

"... I am not that good at pancakes, but...I can make them for you again... if you want." The embarrassment was back, almost like old times, and Mitsutada found himself smiling further at the memories. But this time, he refused to be pulled in.

"When?" Smile now completely absent, Mitsutada fixed his lone eye entirely on the man he had come so far for. "You don't want me here."

Whereas the ex-mermaid's expression had changed with a controlled smoothness, Ookurikara's completely crumbled. The soft mood created by the sweets and the morning's drowsiness dissipated under the weight of the words alone. "I... I never said that I didn't want you here." The word "want" echoed in the room. It bounced about in Mitsutada's small human ears. It hit his chest like an arrow, and his pounding heart sent it dripping down to his groin. The word wiggled through the muscles in his brain, tying them in knots. It dug into the edges of his lips and pulled them back hard. He was not smiling.

If it was possible to understand anything after all the joy and hurt and chaos of the last few weeks, it would be one thing: Ookurikara's didn't really know what he wanted at all.

"You want me here, but you don't want to be my mate?" Pushing too hard was something Mitsutada usually didn't do. Especially with the fisherman, who could be quite skittish. But after everything, after all the sacrifices, there came a point when definitions needed setting.

The pain was there, in those yellow eyes, but Mitsutada tried to ignore it and focus on the words that were coming out of his mouth instead. "I don't know anything about you, Mitsutada. We've been seeing each other for almost a year, but that hardly counts when we only interacted in one place." His eyes shot to Mitsutada's gloves an eyepatch for a moment, betraying his thoughts. "I can't say that I am your mate and not know so much about you." The obvious thought behind the words left them heavy on his tongue, and he looked away, not sure what to follow up with.

Weight or no, the mermaid could not be swayed easily, and continued his questioning. "Would you rather I leave?"

A tanned hand shot across the table, and the mermaid couldn't push away the fingers that seemed desperate to intertwine with his. Those yellow eyes burned. All the hesitance was gone and only conviction coated his voice. "I want you to stay."

"If not as your mate, then as what?" And the question seemed silly, because why should feelings need to be categorized into names? It should be enough to just be around Ookurikara, knowing that both of them were mutually interested in each other. But it did matter. Because having that name to verbalize their bond had meant everything to him. It was a reassurance as well as a mile marker. People threw away everything for their mates, and no one batted an eyelash. The name alone put all those feelings of passion and devotion into an easy package that everyone could understand. But perhaps it was just that-an ideal. It wasn't really possible.

But before the musings pulled Mitsutada too deep, Ookurikara squeezed his hand and pushed out an answer. "I can't be your mate, Mitsutada. Not yet, anyway..." and here he paused, as if considering all the options. A light seemed to go off in his head though. Suddenly, he seemed to be glowing, alit with this new idea of his. He caught the other's eye.

"Mitsutada, go out with me."

The ex-mermaid blinked. "Go out where?"

The heavy atmosphere all but dissolved as the two stared at each other with equal confusion.

"Become my boyfriend?" Ookurikara tired again.

"Your friend who is male?"

Things just weren't translating, and the fisherman ran his free hand through his hair. "When you have found someone you like, but need time to get to know them and decide whether or not to be their mate, what do you call that?"

The ex-mermaid's lips parted slightly in understanding. "Counting. Kuri-Chan, you want to do that with me?"

"...It's not what you want, but it's all I can give."

The words fluttered into ears that were no longer webbed and settled into a brain that had still not completed the transformation into humanity yet. "Under those conditions, I can stay by your side?"

"...If you want." That shy side made another appearance in the form of Ookurikara's sudden interest in the other side of the room, and the other man couldn't help but smile. He squeezed the hand that was holding his so tightly still.

"I do want to. Please let me be your..." Here he paused, realizing he didn't know the word just yet.

"Boyfriend," Ookurikara supplied.

"Thank you." He was a bit embarrassed at the slip up, but carried on nonetheless. "Let me be your boyfriend and be mine as well." It was obvious that the last two weeks weren't forgiven just like that, but the desire to stay close was more than enough keep them trying.

* * *

The joy of lazing about on the couch became the second human pastime Mitsutada learned that day. Normally be would have protested to such a listless activity, but his legs were still not quite ready for prolonged use, and he wasn't about to turn down a chance to cuddle with his ex-mate but new boyfriend. A foot hooked around his, and the other mumbled shyly into the soft skin on his neck: "I like your legs."

His chest heaved with short but hearty chuckles. "I would hope so. They're permanent after all."

The man who had been so comfortably tangled against him suddenly went rigid. He sat up straight and looked at Mitsutada like a fisherman looks at a broken line. "You can't... change back?"

The smile on his lips showed no bitterness. Some sadness, perhaps, but it was not enough to change the commitment which flavored his voice. "I was worried about you, and this was the only way I could move on my own. This is me now."

The shock moved inward, and transformed into something of self-loathing. "Mitsutada, because of me, you..."

But the sentence wasn't allowed to go any further. A sturdy hand cupped that tanned face firmly and drew their eyes together. "I made the decision and I will not regret it, Kuri-Chan." The other bit down on his lips, but nodded slowly.

* * *

In the days that followed, Mitsutada learned what it meant to Ookurikara to be human. He thoroughly explored and learned everything about the house, from electronics to cleaning products (Though the last one was spotty at best since the fisherman obviously didn't really know what he was doing when it came to cleaning.). They went to the grocery store together, and Mitsutada realized the equivalent of healthy human food.

They even regularly went back to the dock, and Ookurikara tried to teach him about lures and lines. The ex-mermaid was drawn in by the sea though, and found himself slowly stripping down to his underthings so he could meet the water fully again. Without his tail, though, he couldn't swim at all. If he hadn't caught himself on one of the posts, he might have drown right there in the shallow water beneath Ookurikara's feet. He smiled sheepishly at the mortified fisherman, embarrassedly trying to explain that he needed help getting up on the dock again. At the time, it was easy to laugh off. Later though, curled up against his boyfriend in the bed they now shared every night, he bit down on his lips and had to focus to keep from soaking the pillow with what was leaking from his eyes.

The two police officers came back to check on him (that's when he finally learned their names, Ichigo and Nakigitsune), and after the awkward initial explanation ("You don't suppose that he left you at the beach because you kept calling him your wife, do you?"), they became fast friends. Upon hearing the offhand comment that the ex-mermaid wanted to learn to cook, Ichigo happily offered to teach him. And that was the beginning of Mitsutada's weekly outings to the Toushirou household. He always came back in the evening with bundle of stories accompanied by laughter and a few Tupperwares full of the day's recipe.

The days settled into a pleasant routine. Mitsutada did the housework and cooking when Ookurikara was at work. And when all the corners were dust free and there were no more wrinkles in the sheets, he set about fixing up the yard and redoing the exterior of the house. He had initially be too enthralled with the idea of "Kuri-Chan's house!" to realize how worn down it was, but going to the Toushirou's place had given him a comparison, and he wasn't about to let the two of them keep living in a shack. But even with all this, there were still plenty of evenings where they sat quietly on the dock together. Life was comfortable again.

 _TBC…_


	6. Chapter 6

Warning: This chapter contains adult content! Just fyi.

Chapter 6

"Welcome home." The words chimed like bells and Ookurikara felt his whole body relax at the sound. His job didn't fit the bill of arduous by any means, but it drained his energy and left him grouchy and uninterested in humanity. So parts of him definitely worried that coming home to Mitsutada's bright smile would be blinding and annoying. But it did the opposite. Between the scent of food, the sound of his boyfriend's voice, and the soft smile, the fisherman had never been more happy to be home.

It definitely helped that Mitsutada's timing with dinner had gotten really good lately-it was always still nice and hot but cool enough to eat as soon as the tired part-timer sat down. Most importantly though, the ex-mermaid wasn't pushy. There were smiles and soft greetings, but he didn't ask too many questions about the other's day and seemed quite content to simply be together. When food was finished, and they were lazing about afterwards, he might inquire about work or what Ookurikara was thinking about for the following day, or he might share a small story about his own projects. It was incredibly comfortable. The tanned man hadn't thought such a daily life was possible. But it was.

They were having that kind of ideal day, curled up in the couch together after dinner with a short movie (Ookurikara had taken to showing Mitsutada 007 movies, since he felt like the fashion was right up the other's alley.). Ookurikara's hand was lazily entwined in the other's, and his face was resting on the other's shoulder. The summer had brought a string of particularly hot days, forcing even Mitsutada into slightly more casual clothes. Today he was wearing nice jeans and a well fitted T-shirt. His neck line and collarbone were rarely visible these days, so the fisherman couldn't help but find himself staring.

Mitsutada seemed fairly into the movie ("This Bond is quite cool!"), And didn't notice, so Ookurikara decided he might advance a bit further. Slowly, his eyes locked on the other's face until the last second, he scooted his face forward until his lips could plant a small kiss on the other's neck. He received a soft gasp for his efforts. A slight shiver of pleasure ran through the ex-mermaid's body, and all his attention shifted to his boyfriend. Not surprisingly, the fisherman wasn't about to let him take control; his lips pulled back into a sly smirk and he bit down on the exposed white skin with his teeth. The gasp came out much louder this time. Ookurikara grinned a bit wider before smoothly transitioning into a series of nips and licks, of course pausing to suck gently as the gloved hand that wasn't already intertwined with his struggled for some kind of grip. Mitsutada's whole body squirmed as his boyfriend sucked slowly, free hand roaming across that tight T-shirt. In the background, there was an explosion on the TV, but the feel of Mitsutada's pecks was far too engrossing for Ookurikara to notice.

He finally pulled back with a popping sound, satisfied with his work. There wasn't time to admire it though, because that free hand pulled his face up and soft lips pressed desperately against his. The feel of them flexing as they pushed hard and then pulled back as they switched angles made something in his chest flutter. The incredible lack of Mitsutada's usual posture enthralled him, and before long, he had run his tongue slowly across those plump pink lips. They parted immediately, only too happy to comply. Their tongues swirled and slid-the fisherman's heart was doing double time, aided by the gloved hand that moved down from his hip to cup his ass. The sound he made in his throat could be heard even through their connected lips. God, he loved the feeling of those hands on him.

Their lips parted for a moment, and Mitsutada used the opportunity to pull his boyfriend up and into his lap. Before they settled into position though, tanned legs shifted so they could straddle the other's hips, effectively pinning him to the couch. This was more than welcome though, and hands on his back pulled their chests flush as they resumed their kissing ignorant of the car chase that occupied their television screen behind them.

The desire for closeness consumed them. Between the residual awkwardness of their time apart and the smothering heat of the summer, their chances for physical contact had been cut down to a minimum. It went without saying that the desire remained, just simply that neither felt capable of initiating. In the evening they cuddled, and some days Mitsutada would kiss Ookurikara before he left for work, but anything beyond that had been pushed to the side since the two had been reunited. The fisherman sometimes wondered if he was resented for the weeks he had left the mermaid on his own. The ex-mermaid, in turn, felt unsure of his own humanity and had needed time to adjust to the new body and new world around him. But with each kiss, with each touch, those worries slipped away and the two felt lighter than before. Lighter, but definitely not newer, since both still very distinctly remembered the other's weak spots.

A moan clenched Ookurikara's throat-Mitsutada had only just begun to assault his ear. His hot tongue slowly stroked the shell while the sound and feel of his breath penetrated the human's ears. To make matters worse, those two gloved hands squeezed his butt, pulling it up and down in a slow motion that felt incredibly reminiscent of the first time they had made love. All he could think about was bouncing up and down on the other's cock. Breathy moans whimpering out his name while slick flesh squeezed into him. Those hands holding him tightly as Mitsutada touched him inside and out.

He wanted Mitsutada.

He needed Mitsutada.

He pushed their chests flush as possible, grinding up against the other even though that was difficult in this position. Gloved hands pulled him in closer, receptive to the needs since they were the same as his own. A hand flew to the other's dark brown hair, tangling between the locks before pulling him down to meet his open mouth in a wet and desperate kiss. Summer heat and movie be damned.

Ookurikara's hand slid down low and pushed the man beneath him slightly away from the coach so that he could flip them, pinning Mitsutada down, his back against the cushions. In this position, it was much easier to grind his hips up against the other's. He was swelling inside his boxers. The list of things needed to satisfy him only lengthened as time went on, but now, even with just the push of his groin against the other man's, some of the needs alleviated themselves. Through all the layers of fabric he could feel Mitsutada's own desperation manifest in turn. It hadn't been like this before, but he wasn't about to complain.

It only made sense that he would need a different approach to Mitsutada's new body. Shifting so he could slide his knee up between his boyfriend's legs, he wondered what other things would be new. Hands gripped his back through leather gloves. Their chests were so close that he could feel the pound of Mitsutada's heart-it had sped up as soon as the knee slid between his legs. Grinding against it with some force, it was a wonder that Mitsutada didn't come right then. Instead, he slid both hands up so they were on either side of Ookurikara's face, and even if his attention hadn't already been wholly fixed on the other, a yellow eye locked him in place and sent his heart into double time.

"Let me take you to the bed."

The words were heavy, sliding out of Mitsutada's mouth and dripping to the couch beneath them. Despite the wording, it was very much a command. The implications were enough to make him want to tear the other's clothes off right now, but the way that Mitsutada's eye locked on him suggested that the ex-mermaid would be more than willing to take control at any moment. He almost wanted to test it out.

On the other hand, the fisherman knew that there would be plenty of time on the future for /that/ kind of thing, and figured it would be best to just let things go smoothly for now. He nodded in response, and awkwardly moved off the other so that they could both stand. This did last long though, because before he knew what was happening, a pair of arms were scooping him up. Between the all too satisfied smirk and the fact that he was currently being subjected to the so called "Princess Carry," Ookurikara immediately regretted his decision to let his boyfriend stand up. Arms crossed, he pouted.

"I wanted to return the favor after the time you brought me here." The smirk warmed into a grin. Not that Ookurikara could see it though, because Mitsutada's face moved so it could nuzzle the soft skin on his neck. The gentle kisses and slight squirming that followed left the taller of the two chuckling.

"Ookurikara," the tone left the fisherman's stomach doing flips. "I love you."

The words seemed so easy for him and it wasn't fair at all. To be able to say things in a way that seemed so simple and so purely natural, left him weak. He couldn't even to return the favor. His feelings were intangible-even putting them to action proved to be a huge struggle. But every time that Mitsutada told him things like that-took the moment to hold him close and whisper the beating of his heart into words-every time was just as special as the last. The words stuck. Because he knew that if he chose to meet the other with his eyes, the feelings behind those syllables would be more than apparent. It always left him reeling. And in the chaos of those feelings-cheeks flushed, stomach doing acrobatics, lips pushed into a firm line-he never knew what to say. So instead he just changed the topic.

"Take me to the goddamn bed already."

His lover laughed in response, and soon they were making their way through the warm air of a summer evening and down the hallway.

Ookurikara couldn't remember if he hit the bed softly or was forced onto it, because all his mind had time for was the body that was on top of him as they commenced their love making. The heat seared every fiber of his being, and he could feel the sweat start to bead, but his body still lacked warmth. Hands slid all over, exploring and claiming. So much of Mitsutada's body remained new to him, but he wasn't about to let things stay that way. He cupped the other's ass firmly, groping the supple flesh as he marveled at the softness despite the obvious muscle. Everything felt so nice and he couldn't resist slowly moving both halves in a soft circle motion. This was far from enough though, and soon one hand drifted lower, slipping as deep between those voluptuous cheeks as pants would allow. A sudden gasp shuddered though the ex-mermaid's body. Ookurikara's expression didn't change but his hands moved like lightning. The hand that had moved down spread out, so while most of the fingers dug into the flesh of Mitsutada's ass, the middle one pressed in-between those cheeks. A low moan hummed from between the lips what were still on Ookurikara's. His attention was obviously elsewhere though, made apparent by how he was pushing his ass into the boyfriend's hand. The finger responded quickly, adding more pressure while pushing back and forth against the fabric of the other's pants. Mitsutada had to break their kisses as a low moan was wretched from his throat.

"Ku-Kuri-Chan. Ah-Ahhhh."

The hand only pushed harder and Ookurikara's now free lips locked onto his boyfriend's neck. The hand that wasn't working his ass moved done in and in front to palm his errection through his jeans. Mitsutada bit down on his lip to try and silence his moans.

In a show of exceptional dexterity, a singular tanned hand undid first his lover's belt and then his lover's button and zipper. His onslaught paused then so he could wiggle denim down to white thighs. He made a mental note to make fun of Mitsutada for his blue polka dot boxer-briefs later. Future teasing planned, his hand slid in. Between Mitsutada's breathy gasps and the blood pounding in his own head, focusing on the very hard dick straining against his hand was difficult. His boyfriend's body was human here as well. Sweat had slicked it and it moved easily in his hand, skin against skin. Squeezing softly, the fisherman pumped up and down. Mitsutada moaned.

"Kuri... Chan..." Each syllable came out with some effort. His hand met the other's face and he managed: "Will you do to me what I did to you the first time we made love? ...I-I want you to have me."

Ookurikara's brain stopped.

"If you don't want to that's absolutely fine! I am happy with either role really!"

Mitsutada kept talking, but the other's brain wasn't registering any of it. For all of the time they had been together, he had only imagined Mitsutada's cock inside himself, as he rode the other steadily, or as he was pushed on his back and fucked thoroughly in the water if the bathroom tub. But now, for the first time, thoughts of the ex-mermaid /under him/ assaulted his mind: laying on his back, with his legs spread wide, all but begging; pushed up against the wall, with his ass out and legs trembling for more; down on all fours, head peeking over his shoulder to reveal very red cheeks. Of course, he wondered if the /sounds/ that Mitsutada would make were any different than before.

The other's talking hadn't ceased by the time Ookurikara's brain kicked back into action. He shut up when he was kissed though.

Lips still wet with the other's saliva, Ookurikara responded to the earlier fretting. "I want to fuck you."

From flipping their positions to stretching Mitsutada, it didn't quite go smoothly, but it wasn't as awkward as their first time either, which could probably be attributed to the experience they had both obtained since then. Still though, when the time came to finally get on with the fucking, Ookurikara felt is breath catch. His head paused at the other's entrance. Mitsutada's eye locked on his so intently that he felt a heat rise to his cheeks that he knew had nothing to do with the summer heat. This was stupid-they'd done it plenty of times before! Why was he getting all worked up? With a determined grunt, he slid himself in, pushing and pushing until his hips connected with his boyfriend's ass. Both of them paused again, gloved fingers digging into his shoulders while Ookurikara felt the pressure of the other's body squeezing him softly. They were connected.

He felt clumsy at first, rocking back and forth, trying to figure out how to meet the other's hips properly. Slowly he built up speed, pushing in and out with more skill, as he held the other's hips to meet his thrusts. It was a bit overwhelming, and so much different than what they had done before. With each movement, he knew he was causing the other to gasp. Each little moan and squirm in pleasure was his doing, and all he wanted was more. He sped up again, and what had previously been his name turned into mumbled half words and Mitsutada's head lolled back into the sheets.

"Kuri- ah! More! Hnng! I need- ahhh!"

It all just made Ookurikara want to fuck him harder. Each word went straight to his dick, which was so far from being satisfied despite the very tight and slick ass that it squeezed in and out of. He needed to render Mitsutada speechless. Both hands pulled up those pale hips so that he could change the angle and slide in deeper. The sound that his lover made was composed entirely of vowels. This was it.

Arms straining, he held Mitsutada up, pounding him hard into the bed. The ex-mermaid locked his new thighs high in the other's hips, hands searching for purchase in the sheets. His ass flexed into the dick slapping into him, desperate for more.

If the bruises his fingers left behind were any indication, this wasn't a pace the fisherman could keep up for long. Mitsutada was barely touching the bed. There had to be better way. With a sound that disappointed both of them, he pulled out of his lover. With some guidance, he managed to turn the other man around and get him on his hands and knees. The other looked over his shoulder to complain about not being able to see his boyfriend face. The words died in his throat when Ookurikara thrust into him with all he had.

The pace from before meant nothing, because the fisherman was fucking him at a break neck speed. With each hit, the Mitsutada's face sunk further down, until his moans were muffled by the sheets. He back arched up beautifully, which Ookurikara might have been dazzled by if not for the fact that the ex-mermaid's perfect ass was now in just the right position to thrust all the way into his core.

A drop of sweat slid down the side of his face. So much of him wanted to think of new ways to make Mitsutada moan, but the creaking of the bed was audible even with Mitsutada's deep moans and the heady sound of his hips slapping ass. His core was a pleasant oven and his nose took in the smell of sweat, pre-cum, and /Mitsutada/. He wanted all of it. But he knew it wasn't enough.

In a moment of inspiration, he leaned forward to grab the other's human dick. Mitsutada's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Between the thrusts rocking the other's quivering body, Ookurikara couldn't quite be as gentle as he wanted to, so he settled with just pumping it to the rhythm of his own cock. As he pushed in, he slid his hand over throbbing veins and his thumb smoothed over the head and pressed at the tip. When he pulled back, the firm ring made by his thumb and middle finger squeezed Mitsutada all the way to his base. He wanted Mitsutada to feel each shake in his hips and each thrust. He wanted to spread that heat down every bit of Mitsutada that he could reach. He wanted them to feel as one.

The sound of his own name reached his ears again, but he wasn't finished.

The hand around Mitsutada's cock lurched forward. It raced over skin until he grasped a very alert nipple, and then, still smeared in pre-cum, rolled it between hit fingers. Whatever bit of vocal Mitsutada had left spilled out at that moment, and he was completely at Ookurikara's mercy, desperately gasping for more. And that drove the other crazy. He grunted roughly before moving the hand that had previously been holding Mitsutada's hips steady. Instead, he grabbed the other's dick hungrily.

Ookurikara wasn't done with him just yet. His hips thrust haphazardly and deeply into his lover, all the while stroking his dick and nipple. He was already so close to the edge. Mitsutada's body shook as he buckled under all the pleasure.

"Kuri-Chan!"

His vision went white the moment Mitsutada's voice hit his ears.

In the sticky aftermath that followed, the two ended up on their backs, panting. Even in this heat, the sudden lack of human contact left skin uncomfortably cold, and they both instinctively scooted closer. Turning his head so he could see Ookurikara even though he lay on his bad side, Mitsutada smiled softly before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on the tanned man's nose. Lips quirked up slightly in response. They kissed gently.

Though the ex-mermaid was tempted to complement the other, or make some sly comment about how he was looking forward to next time, the silence felt comfortable. Nothing seemed more desirable than listening to the other breathe slowly, in and out, as he drifted off to sleep. Even closing his eyes seemed safe. In the morning, when he opened them, his lover would still be there. Even if they drifted apart during the night, in the morning, Mitsutada knew that if he reached his hand out, Ookurikara would be there waiting. Because this was /their/ space now. They belonged together.

 _END_

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

I really must apologize for the delay on the last chapter. Admittedly... it's been all typed up on my smartphone since like... June or July. I just haven't made the time to sit down and proof read it until now. I'm so sorry.


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